"First it was severe acute respiratory syndrome and now avian flu: for the second time in a year a government has covered up the outbreak of a lethal disease and been found out. How many epidemics must there be before governments learn that such secrecy is dangerous and counterproductive?

"In the avian flu outbreak, the culprit is the Thai government of Thaksin Shinawatra. Evidence had been mounting for weeks of the spread of the disease among chickens in Thailand but the authoritarian Mr Thaksin and members of his government tried to brush the problem under the carpet ... We all hope to avert a human epidemic but if the danger passes it will be no thanks to the Thai authorities."

Kavi Chongkittavorn Nation, Thailand, January 26

"Now that Japan, the EU, Hong Kong and other countries have banned Thai poultry, the relevant authorities are feeling guilty ... Some have said they should have blown the whistle at the end of last year ... [In addition, the Thai media was] gullible in repeating the government's assertion that it was cholera and bronchitis that killed those birds ... If the media had performed its watchdog role, then the farmers would have been warned ...

"The Thaksin government has been caught red-handed in lying to the people. Certainly, the government only came clean when it was evident that the bird flu had claimed at least one human life. Otherwise, the cover-up would have continued. The government's credibility has suffered irreparable damage."

Business Day Editorial, Thailand, January 26

"Aside from the serious danger to public health and enormous economic losses, the government's handling of the crisis may prove to be self-destructive, with its credibility in question, not only on the avian flu crisis, but with all other issues it may address in the future to the Thai people and the world ...

"From now on, the government should not only act truthfully and transparently, but it must implement powerful measures to tackle the crisis head-on. The world will no longer be listening to the words of Thai officials, but it will be closely watching their actions."

Bangkok Post Editorial, January 24

"Now, after weeks of strenuous denials ... the Thai government has finally admitted to what had long been feared and suspected by local farmers nationwide ... [Its] efforts to sweep the problem under the carpet have exploded in its face, leaving the poultry industry in tatters and the very safety of the public in jeopardy ... Action to cull stocks swiftly and comprehensively will be needed to curtail the outbreak ... [But] restoring public confidence in the system could be the more difficult task. To this goal, one start would be if those ostensibly responsible for overseeing the country's public health and food safety were to consider stepping aside now."

Hankyoreh Editorial, South Korea, January 26

"There are many unanswered questions about bird flu, such as how it appeared in different countries simultaneously, and why it is concentrated in Asia. The World Health Organisation and experts from these Asian nations must work as quickly as possible to find the origin of the disease and develop a vaccine. Being able to do so will depend more than anything else on each country not hiding outbreaks ... National selfishness should not be allowed to cause greater damage than there might be otherwise ...

"In Korea, the experts are saying that since no humans have been infected with bird flu here, there's no reason to be overly worried. That kind of negligence should not be permitted."